Chaoyang Park west gate is these days a serious rival for Sanlitun Bar Street. Page 14
FRIDAY JULY 11 2003
“It was the best time, good friends playing songs we loved and practicing our own songs all day.” Page 9
“The cost of living in Beijing is definitely higher than in New York!” Page 8
NO. 112
CN11-0120
HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
Reform Challenges University Spirit X By Xiao Rong u Xiangdong seems to take the proposals in the controversial reform rather calmly, though he is among those who will be the direct targets of the proposed “upor-out” system. “I myself am reasonably confident of qualifying in the possible future competition. But most of my colleagues who are assistant or associate professors share a common pressure facing the new rule,” says Xu, an assistant professor of the Philosophy Department. According to Xu, several of his colleagues feel threatened and are worried that the reforms will lead to an increasing pragmatism in terms of choice of research topics. “Apart from those who are simply afraid of competition, there are many who just want a peaceful environment in which to carry out creative research. A fellow teacher in my office even plans to leave Beijing University.” Xu approves the guideline of the draft plan that focuses on stimulating competition, although he views the plan as a simple imitation of the US tenure-track system. One of the key problems, he says, is the need for an impartial and objective academic assessment system to guarantee the promotion of genuinely talented teachers. “Although those who drafted the plan are mostly returning overseas professors, they have not, in fact, gotten a complete understanding of the tenure system in world class universities,” says Xu, who received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and came to Beijing University last year. Professor Liu Dong from the Chinese Department echoes Xu’s comment, adding that the plan was framed from the perspective of economists, and lacks a basic understanding of the real elements that constitute a university. “There is no humanism in the plan, nor does it reflect a real respect for the tradition of Beijing University or show a real understanding for its future development,” comments Liu. As a professor, Liu will win tenure automatically under the reform. Despite this, he expresses regret at the possibility that the unique academic atmosphere of Beijing University might be lost. “Some of the young teachers in my department complained they would have to comply with the competition rule of publishing more works to win promotion and avoid being dismissed,” Liu continues. “In this case, the original academic ecosystem in
Beijing University will be spoiled. It’s like bargaining at a free market, where the exchange of knowledge is evolving into material exchanges.” Liu suggests the plan should take into consideration differences in the academic disciplines, especially the humanities, which have been a traditional strong point of Beijing University. “If we are not allowed to recruit our own students in the future, most of them, especially undergraduates, will have no option but to go abroad to gain better academic qualifications.” Xu Xiangdong adds, “It’s desirable for Beijing University to avoid academic ‘inbreeding’ by refusing to accept its own graduates, but only when other universities take similar measures, can an open academic environment in China be created.” Considering the diversity of different academic fields, Chen Ping, professor at the China Center for Economic Research (CCER), suggests the university authority should organize a reform team in each school or department for better implementation of the plan, since any successful reform is driven by a reform-minded team rather than consensus. “The reform within a young system will usually prove to be easier than a reform in an old system,” says Chen. CCER, a relatively new department of Beijing University, has actually been practicing the up-or-out system since its foundation. In the view of Chen, the reform is essential, given that the field of higher education is one of the last bastions of the planned economy. “Beijing University is facing a restructuring from an teaching-oriented university to a research-oriented university. This task can not succeed in the absence of an open and competitive academic personnel system.” Chen does not agree that the reform will have an unfavorable impact on the development of humanities or other traditional disciplines. “The vitality of any academic field lies in its open competition within the field and communication with other disciplines, both domestically and internationally.” The tenure-track system does not judge the academic achievements of a scholar totally from a market-oriented perspective, but gives those who have proven themselves qualified the honor of tenure, Chen adds. “Those scholars who enjoy the free academic atmosphere of Beijing University should transform themselves from the role of an admirer of Beijing University spirit to real competitors.”
Bring on the Competition
By Xiao Rong A proposed teaching staff reform at Beijing University aimed at introducing a tenure-track system continues to be the subject of intense debate among teachers and students since it was first raised in May. The first draft plan for the reform was released on May 12, calling for public comment and suggestions. The university authority published a second edition on June 16 for further discussion on the campus. Described as the most radical proposal of its kind since the 105-year-old university launched in 1917 its first reform to promote academic freedom, the reform is intended to help build Beijing University into a world first-class university, according to its authors. Based on an explanation of the reform posted on the university website by chief author Professor Zhang Weiying, the key elements can be summed up as follows. Teachers will be employed and classified based on their academic achievements.
Specifically, assistant professors and associate professors will sign a fixed-term contract with the university, during which period they can apply no more than twice for promotion. Those who fail to gain promotion will be dismissed when their contracts expire, while tenure will be granted to those who win the title of professor. A competitive system will be adopted among the various schools or departments. Those who fail to achieve a good ranking in their field nationwide will be first warned, and if they fail to improve, dismissed. All employment and promotion vacancies will be open to outside applicants. Students of Beijing University may not be directly employed as teaching staff upon graduation. A judging panel comprised of professors will be established in each school, to be responsible for employment of teaching staff and promotions. “The ultimate goal of Beijing University’s reform is that all of our lifetime professors will become first-class scholars,” declared university party secretary Min Weifang during a China Central Television report last Sunday.
The case for
Online dissent
“The quality of our teaching staff is crucial in helping Beijing University become a world first-class university. Our scholars are excellent on an average level in China, but as one of China’s oldest universities, we should make sure that all our professors are, at least at home, first-class scholars in their fields. “Workers can be laid off, government officials can lose their posts as a result of recent reforms, why should university teachers, the most welleducated group in our society, be exempt from such competition? “Choosing truly qualified scholars and successfully stimulating their creativity are two basic requirements for a research-oriented university. The ‘up-or-out’ system is just the key. “The reform needs a stable environment in which to be implemented. We need to perform the surgery in mid-race. This is why those who have already gained professorship are not affected by the reform. We can at least guarantee that all newly employed scholars at Beijing University will be first-class candidates.” — Zhang Weiying, assistant to the president of Beijing University, vice director of the Guanghua School of Management
Publication of the draft on the university website has attracted a barrage of criticism. Some of the most frequently raised objections follow: “The rejection of Beijing University graduates is a waste of talent and will only result in their going abroad to pursue higher degrees.” “Why not first conduct a reform in the administrative system? Without efficient and transparent academic administration, the reform on the teaching staff will not succeed.” “Some professors are not as qualified as assistant or associate professors, based on the former academic assessment system, so the professors as a group should not be exempt from the reform.” “It is unfair that assistant or associate professors become the direct target of the reform when there is no sound social welfare system to protect their interests.” “The assessment panel of professors should have more power in academic appraisal and really dominate the academic management work of the university.”
Photo by Yao Yujiang
Ancient Human Bones Unearthed By Zeng Wei / Ivy Zhang keleton fossils of a male believed to have lived 25,000 years ago were unearthed in mid June, five kilometers south of Zhoukoudian, southwest of Beijing. Skull fossils, which carry the most detailed archeological information, are not among the new finds, meaning there remains much potential for important discoveries in future excavations, according to representatives of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing municipal government speaking at a press conference Monday. A team from Beijing Tianyuan Forest Farm made the initial discovery by chance in the spring of 2001, while looking for a likely place to dig a well. “It is a dark cave. We could see nothing inside. The entrance is large enough for only one person to pass through at a time. When we got in, we could see water dripping. Our first thought was that we had found water at last,” said farm manager Tian Xiumei. Tian says she never expected the search for water would lead to an archeological find. They began to dig inside the cave, but when the hole was only one meter deep, one of the workers struck a bone with his spade. The deeper they dug, the more bones they found. “Being near the Zhoukoudian (Peking Man) site, we thought it was possible they might be of archaeological significance,” says Tian. She took some of the bones to the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Anthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where they were confirmed to be fossils. In early June this year, archeologists began excavating Tianyuan Cave. A total of 26 animal fossils were found, including deer, hedgehog and monkey. In mid June, the first human fossil was found, and since then, numerous bones, all likely to have be-
S
longed to an adult male, including a section of jaw bone with teeth, arm and shoulder bones, thighbones, and vertebrae, have been unearthed. Like the Peking Man and Shandingdong Man (Upper Cave Man) found in the 1920’s around the same vicinity, the fossils are of a Tianyuan Man, who is believed to differ only slightly from modern humans. The Upper Cave Man discoveries, which helped illustrate how homo erectus evolved from the ape, was a major step in the development of the theory of human origin and evolution. However, those fossilized skulls were lost during Japan’s invasion of China in 1937. “The sites where Tianyuan Man was found is close to where the Upper Cave Man was found and they are from the same period. These two should have been closely related,” said Wu Xinzhi of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Anthropology. “The new find makes up for the loss of the Upper Cave Man fossils. It is the only known human fossil evidence of the Upper Cave Man period in Beijing.” The period in which Tianyuan Man lived, some 20,000 to 100,000 years ago, was a crucial time for human evolution, in east Asia in particular. It was during this period that humans developed their skill in producing tools and the ability to perform labor, says Wu. However, the excavation is just beginning, Wu insists. “At the excavation site of the cave, no skull fossil fragments have been found so far, which means the skull fossils of Tianyuan Man might still be intact. It might still be in the cave, waiting to be found by archeologists.” The entire site has not yet been completely exposed. “We are ready to make new important discoveries at any time. Then again, we might find nothing more,” says Wu.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: ZHANG XIAOXIA EDITOR: XIAO RONG DESIGNER: LI SHI
■Under the auspices of the Information Office of Beijing Municipal Government ■Run by Beijing Youth Daily ■President: Zhang Yanping ■Editor in Chief: Zhang Yabin ■Executive Deputy Editor in Chief: He Pingping ■Director of the Editorial Department: Liu Feng ■Price: 2 yuan per issue ■26 yuan for 3 months ■Address: No.23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China ■Zip Code: 100026 ■Telephone/Fax: (010) 6590-2525 ■E-mail: bjtoday@ynet.com ■Hotline for subscription with Red Cap Company: (010) 67756666 ■ Overseas Code Number: D1545 ■ Overseas Distribution Agent: China International Book Trading Corporation